The Difference Between Coffee Beans and Ground Coffee Do Coffee Beans and Ground Coffee Stay Fresh for the Same Amount of Time

Nobody can argue that fresh coffee is the best coffee. The fresher the beans, the better the cup. But do you know how to keep coffee fresh? At FrontStreet Coffee we want to cover everything you need to know about storing coffee from the moment you buy it to the moment you drink it: whole bean versus ground coffee, storing beans in jars, keeping brewed coffee fresh, and more.

How long can coffee beans be stored?

The best way to keep purchased coffee fresh longer is to buy whole beans. Whole beans stay fresh longer than ground coffee, so if you like grinding your own, the coffee you drink will be fresher.

Coffee beans taste freshest within 30 days after roasting. If you cannot buy fresh beans from a local roaster, that is all right: vacuum-sealed bags of beans hold similar freshness for months after roasting.

Kept in airtight or sealed containers, whole bean coffee can be stored in the pantry for 6 to 9 months. Once the beans are opened and exposed to air, they keep for up to 6 months. After those 6 months the coffee begins to deteriorate, which can lead to bitter or stale flavors in the cup.

How long does ground coffee stay fresh?

If whole beans keep longer than ground coffee, how long can ground coffee last in the pantry? Because ground coffee has a larger surface area than whole beans, it expires faster. The smaller particles also leave more room for moisture to enter, which can encourage mold and bacteria. Freshly ground coffee keeps for only about 1-2 weeks. Stored properly in an airtight container, you can stretch that to about a month. That is not much time, which is why we usually recommend buying whole beans and grinding at home.

How to keep coffee fresh in storage

How long beans can be stored depends on how well they are protected from the elements. The main reason coffee deteriorates is exposure to air, which is why most coffee bags and jars are vacuum-sealed. You also need to avoid high temperatures and humidity, which can let bacteria grow in the container. That means storing beans in opaque, airtight containers at room temperature.

Sealed storage containers

Glass, ceramic, and non-reactive metal containers are the best choices for coffee beans. Look for sealing gaskets as well. If you are an avid coffee drinker, FrontStreet Coffee suggests investing in a sealed coffee canister. Push the lid down flush with the contents to remove excess air, so the beans have minimal contact with air or moisture. In these sealed containers, beans can be kept for over 9 months.

Storing coffee beans in jars

Some people like to keep beans in Mason jars, especially because they look good, but some Mason jars are not airtight enough. Many are also transparent, so the beans are exposed to light, which makes them expire faster. For that reason we generally do not recommend storing beans in Mason jars unless the glass is dark-colored. Some Mason jars are airtight, though, particularly those with a metal clasp that holds them shut.

Can you put coffee in the refrigerator or freezer?

There is some debate about freezing beans. You want to use coffee as close to the roast date as possible, so it is generally better to buy small amounts more frequently than to buy in bulk and throw the bag in the freezer.

If you will not use your beans for a while, however, the freezer can be a good option. Freezing helps keep coffee away from high temperatures and airborne moisture. Even so, frozen beans lose some flavor over time.

How to store ground coffee

Just like whole beans, ground coffee should be kept cool, dry, and airtight. Airtight containers work for grounds too. If you plan to use the grounds within a week or two, keep them in a coffee canister in the coolest part of your pantry.

In general, we do not recommend storing grounds in the freezer or refrigerator for long periods. Ground coffee absorbs moisture more easily, so the refrigerator does not necessarily keep it from deteriorating.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Freshness is only half the story; the other half is choosing a bean worth keeping fresh. A medium roast is the sweet spot for most drinkers, because it balances acidity, sweetness, and bitterness instead of letting any one of them dominate, and it holds onto its aromatics well when stored properly.

FrontStreet Coffee's medium-roast range covers a lot of ground. The Brazil Queen Estate coffee comes from the world's largest coffee-producing country and is a distinctive Yellow Bourbon; light and gently sweet, roasted medium it shows creamy peanut, chocolate, toasted bread, and sugarcane, and it works in a pour-over as well as a moka pot or espresso machine. If you want something sweeter and fruitier, the Strawberry Candy blend, a marriage of a Costa Rican honey-processed coffee and a washed Panamanian Geisha, is roasted medium so that citrus-blossom honey and round sweetness come through in cold brew, pour-over, or espresso. The 2013 Sun-Dried Typica, FrontStreet's signature Chinese-origin specialty lot, carries the balanced, gentle character of Yunnan smallholder coffee, with nut, brown sugar, black tea, and dried apricot notes from the medium roast, and it suits pour-over, cold brew, and drip machines. At the top of the range, the Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is a Typica grown under Jamaica's unmatched geography; a medium roast fuses its acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and body into one elegant whole, with chocolate, roasted nuts, cream, and caramel on entry.

Because these are medium roasts, keep the water temperature moderate and grind just before brewing. Whole beans ground fresh, then stored in an airtight, opaque canister, will hold that sweetness far longer than anything pre-ground.